Forged in Flame
by Givethemtriumphnow
Summary: Nyx Ulric's ending isn't so peaceful, and unbeknownst to Ardyn, he's actually just helped the both of them in another time to come (Oneshot, New Game plus, prequel-ish)


Not a bad way to go," Nyx said softly, focusing his attention on the beautiful sunrise painting a golden light across the ruins of Insomnia, if only to not see how he was beginning to disintegrate into nothing but ashes.

His entire body was going numb despite the silver fire taking over his skin, and he could only be grateful that the Lucii hadn't condemned him to burning in agony like Lunafreya's brother had.

Nyx stared at the motes of ashes swirling around him in a light breeze; it could have been beautiful in the sunlight if it weren't made up of his own charred flesh and those of the dead.

Suddenly, there was the sound of shifting rocks behind him; with some effort, Nyx glanced over his shoulder, wondering how in the world Drautos was still alive without magic sustaining him-

-Only to meet golden eyes framed by flyaway, burgundy hair.

Nyx jerked back from Chancellor Izunia, startled, wondering why on eos the man was still in Insomnia- but the Niflheim representative simply reached out and latched onto his chin in a punishing grip. Nyx gasped as pain blossomed out from the point of contact, feeling like his jaw would break under the pressure.

"Oh my, can't have our young bastard King dissolving away, now can we?" Izunia purred, "Where would the fun in that be?"

The grip on his face was released, only for the creepy as fuck Chancellor to snag the back of Nyx's jacket and begin to drag him bodily across the ground, into the looming shadows and away from the rising sun.

Nyx choked as the fabric of his uniform tightened painfully on his throat, fighting to escape, but his body was so weak he couldn't even lift a hand as they passed by Drautos's lifeless body.

Izunia paused here, backtracking until Drautos was in his shadow, and with a careless flick of his finger, shot some dark something into Drautos's face. The black liquid immediately began to seep into the dead traitor's skin, and Nyx watched, horrified, as black veins began to appear on the corpse.

In the few seconds it took for Izunia to start chuckling, Nyx saw as the commander's corpse began to stir and change, a blood-red glow beginning to emanate from his open, staring eyes.

The bloody eyes blinked, and a guttural, spine-chilling moan escaped Drautos as he turned and look straight at Nyx with lifeless, undead eyes.

The daemon let out a growl, and started moving towards Nyx and the Chancellor, clearly intending to pounce, but the Chancellor simply stepped lightly to the side, letting sunlight hit the newborn daemon fully.

The effect was instantaneous.

The creature that was once Drautos let out a screech of agony, fire once more lighting up its form as the sunlight began to eat away at its flesh, like the Ring had to Nyx- only Drautos was not so lucky to have it numbed by some ghosts of former kings.

Nyx watched, frozen, as his former commander writhed in agony on the ground, screeching in pain, for what seemed like an eternity.

"S-stop this," Nyx managed to force out, watching as clouds of sickly black ashes scattered as Drautos burned away, "Stop this! Why are you doing this?!"

The Chancellor leaned down, his smile all teeth that in that moment, resembled nothing more than fangs. "A lesson, little King."

Izunia reached out, and rested his hand on Nyx's chest, right over his pounding heart. "A lesson for you."

Izunia flexed his hand, drew back his arm, and then-

Nyx's entire form was consumed by agony. His eyes were open, but he was seeing double. Screams were lodged in his throat, refusing to be released as blood and bile drowned him. The world was tinting blue, then black, as he watched the Niflheim Chancellor rip his heart out of his body- no, no, not his heart, his soul.

Nyx watched through eyes that were being blinded by living darkness as his lifeless body dropped to the ground, mouth and eyes stained black with a viscous liquid.

The Chancellor was still holding his soul aloft, and Nyx tried to struggle as he saw that same liquid darkness beginning to consume him. Lightning, fire, and ice, his fledgling magic, struggled to beat the darkness back but were consumed one by one as the insatiable Scourge twisted his soul into a dark caricature of what he once was.

What was left of him wasn't sure when he was dropped into the dust, only that the agony was slowly ebbing. His vision was fucked, and he could barely see where Izunia was standing over him, blocking out the sun like he had for Drautos.

Snarling, he snapped out his right hand and a chaotic bolt of lightning shot out, uncontrolled and imprecise.

It missed by a mile.

Nyx didn't care. Primal rage had consumed him, and he shot out fire, ice, and some sickening magenta light, but nothing connected. He shot out some more fire, just because casting it out seemed to ease his own burning.

Izunia laughed again, uproariously, as though Nyx were some kind of pet that had done something amusing instead of a rampaging daemon out for his blood.

Izunia dodged another blast of fire."Ah Ha! You're quite the psychotic one, aren't you?" Izunia chortled, ducking as his hair was singed, "and a bit of a pyromancer too! Good, good, that'll help you survive the crazy times to come. Oh, but Nyyyyyx~" The man sing-songed his name, leaning forward until Nyx could make out through blurred eyes the bright, golden sun's glaring out of the man's face, as he held out two familiar kukris, "Don't forget your lesson~!"

The realization hit what was left of Nyx Ulric right before the Chancellor took a step to the side. Adrenaline kicked in, and before the sunlight could make a direct hit on him, The daemon Nyx had become snatched his prized daggers, turned, and was off like a shot, dodging around rubble and hiding in the shadows as he desperately searched out a dark hiding place, screaming as every beam of light that glimpsed him burned like a brand, further twisting his appearance as the shadows worked to repair the damage.

Ardyn Izunia watched, and smiled as Nyx Ulric's infected, twisted soul fled the light. Turning carelessly, he scooped up the daemon's magically preserved body, then turned to make his way back to his rightful throne.

"I'll see you again, soon, Psychomancer!" He called over his shoulder, sniggering at his own pun


End file.
